at a news conference in malaysia just hours ago, chuck todd asked the president for comment. >> when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything. you just let them talk, and that's what happened here. >> david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. >> good morning, erica. >> the president went on to say that this just shows, again, how the u.s. continues to struggle with this legacy of race and slavery and segregation, and it is something, as we know, that continues to come up, and the president is asked about it, especially because of all this talk about after his election that we would be moving into a post-racial america. how did these comments affect the president when he is asked to weigh in on them, and in your experience in washington? >> well, there's a certain moral leadership that comes with being the first african-american president and to talk about issues of race that still persist in this country. racism persists. when you have these flash points, the president initially reluctant has become far less rel